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In a recent post titled "[Kanji
identification?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/13032/kanji-
identification)" the accepted answer stated that the "parts" for 「烙」 are
"fire", "folding chair" and "mouth". Japanese native speakers don't understand
what that means. Likewise, I don't understand.

An answer that is not understandable by native speakers seems a little weird.
Japanese people memorize very, very, few radicals. What they memorize is the
official name (so as to explain verbally how to write a kanji). The "meaning"
is ancillary at best. Can someone elaborate to me why a radical discussion
answered the question in the "Kanji identification?" thread? In this forum, I
read most questions / answers to learn Japanese.


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kanji radicals
Native speakers (basically) don't study radicals. So, how could they be useful for learning kanji?


It is referring to a technique for learning kanji in which the various
components of the kanji are given "names". In addition to breaking the kanji
down into an easily quantifiable number of components, it helps to create a
**mnemonic sentence** for the kanji out of the **mnemonic words** of each
component. For example, "烙" means "burn", so a technique for memorizing this
kanji would be to form a sentence related to "burn" out of the words "fire",
"folding chair", and "mouth".

Note that some of the mnemonics come from the actual meaning of the component
when it appears as a standalone kanji (such as 火, which literally means fire),
while others are simply named the way they are because of their appearance,
such as 夂、 which resembles a folding chair, but the actual meaning of it is
"winter". When forming a mnemonic sentence for the kanji, there is also the
option of using "winter" as the mnemonic for the 夂 component.


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To memorize something abstract like a kanji, you we must to connect it with
something, like some nominal meaning (which doesn't have to be entirely
accurate or complete).

(If we do not connect the form with something else, then what does it mean to
memorize it and to recall it? If something has no association, yet we are able
to recall it, all we can do is point at it and say "I am sure I have seen that
form before": basically, the form is associated with a "Yes" or "No": yes, I
have seen it; no, I don't think I have. And it ends there.)

A mnemonic device just serves to help retain and recall an association. The
details of the mnemonic do not matter, as long as it makes sense to you and
helps you remember. You can (and should) make up your own mnemonics.

Mnemonic devices can build on your existing knowledge. For instance, in regard
to this 烙, I already know 各 which means "each", "every". I do not need a
mnemonic for that character any more. (I do not remember whether I ever had
one).

So I might build a mnemonic based on treating this with two parts, rather than
three: perhaps combining the concept of fire, with each and every: *if
**each** and every part of something is subject to **fire** , then it is
completely **burned**. Another possible association is with customer/guest
(客). We are missing the "roof" part which distinguishes it from "each". Why is
that? _The store was **burned** by exhibiting bad **customer** service (mortal
sin in Japan), and **lost the roof** over their heads._

Another mnemonic that could work, via another connection to "each": the word
烙印 (rakuin) means "brand": a symbol that is burned on, like on cattle. Hence:
_"Each and every one of my cattle is branded"_.

You don't have to associate 烙 with the nominal meaning of "burn" given in some
dictionaries; you can use something else, like "branding". The accuracy isn't
critical, because this meaning-word is only an access key to the other
information you will later hang onto the character, like the words that it is
involved in.


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There are several useful systems for learning Kanji by building a memorable
"story" based on (sometimes random) radical names.

My favorite example of a useful story is remembering the kanji for "tall",
which is 高. Breaking it apart from top down, we see a cowboy hat over a mouth,
above a space helmet with a mouth visible inside. Of course, this is **Woody
and Buzz** from Toy Story, and you can see that Woody in his cowboy hat is
**TALL** compared to Buzz in his space helmet! Bonus is that you know how to
write and understand the meaning of this kanji.

Rinse and repeat for the remaining 2,799 Kanji you want to remember ;)

Helpful sites:

  * "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig is a series of books which show the author's method for breaking down over 2,800 kanji into simple memorable pieces, that you can recombine mentally in a story so you are building up and (more importantly) distinguishing similar kanji through these stories. A website that helps immensely is <http://kanji.koohii.com/learnmore> ( _Reviewing the Kanji_ ) where you can put in your OWN stories for kanji you want to remember.

  * Another new system that has a built-in Spaced Repetition system is <http://www.WaniKani.com> which has a very nice interface and well-thought-out progression. It will also bug you to come back and keep progressing, which is a nice feature!

  * I have also heard and used KanjiDamage (.com) but it's a little too far out for me. YMMV. ;)

The official radical names are sometimes not meaningful for Westerners
learning Japanese, so don't be afraid to make up your own radical names that
mean something to you. You only need them for a while until the intermediate
step of recalling the story isn't needed anymore, and you just recognize 高 as
_[mentally insert your recollection here]_ whenever you see it.


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